Dharma is a word that describes the act of doing the right thing depending on an individual’s perception of morality. It is a common belief to the Hindu community and entails a life of moral uprightness and obligation of individuals and the society. This paper will discuss the importance of dharma to the Hindu and other communities and its effect on the  harmonious living.

The Mahabharata and Ramayana are both well known, lengthy, epics that serve as a great source of influence in Indian culture. Both epics demonstrate that when one goes against the steady stream of their sacred duty or dharma, punishment ensues. The characters still pursue it, eventually leading to self-destructive tendencies.

In the Ramayana, when Rama is about to kill Vali, it appears that he is about to kill someone who has never wronged him. Rama’s primary defense is “It is my primary duty to help the weak and destroy the evil wherever I see it”. Therefore, the death of Vali becomes his business in order for progression. (103). In the Mahabharata, the events of Arjuna slaying Karna in his vulnerable state, and when Bhima “unfairly killed the righteous Kind Duryodhana,”  seem to negate the goal of being virtuous. However, these events are validated since they are the reaction to initial immoral acts. The Hindu idea of appadharma, in which one’s actions are considered morally right in moments of crisis, surprisingly justifies these actions since these characters are still working to pursue their duties. Ultimately, the characters are still following their moral destiny, as Dharma becomes mores flexible in the pursuit of a larger purpose.

Dharma has the power that propels the world and the society as every character tries to perform his/her moral obligation and keep the natural law. Dharma is a person’s obligation and does not impose any rules since nature guides the moral duty of every creature. The world’s activities run smoothly because of dharma all creatures have the mandate to do what is morally right to them. The moral uprightness according to dharma differs from one person to another, as some things are either rightful or wrongful depending on the individual. For example, murder is a crime but dharma allows it to happen depending on the circumstances such as in battles for defense purposes. Dharma does not permit killing, and it is morally wrong to kill but in cases of defense, dharma dictates that one has the moral obligation to kill in self-defense or the defense of his/ her people. For example, in Hindu, a certain ruler encountered a terrible attack by the rebels but kept his weapons down to avoid committing murder, but later he fought back for defense. In one way or another Dharma is good while it can lead to more crime if, not controlled.

Dharma is a term that can imply to the duty or the responsibility of an individual with respect to the moral and the righteousness as held by the society. Through dharma, people live a righteous life and perform their duties depending on their age, gender, or the position they occupy in the society. For instance, some things are right hen done by men and wrong when done by women. Dharma, therefore, can lead to gender segregation and discrimination. In the modern times, gender discrimination is a serious crime meaning dharma can lead people to break the law. Individuals possess their own Dharma known as sva-dharma and differ from the type of the person. Children have their  dharma different from those of grown-ups. Some things are wrong hen done by children and very right hen done by grownups. Dharma dictates that people should perform their duties even if it means killing. For warriors, killing is not morally wrong as they do it to defend their countries against enemies and any attacks. According to the warrior’s Dharma, it is morally wrong to kill, but they do it as their job dictate that killing for defense is morally right, a situation called adharma.

Dharma requires individuals to offer service to God and humanity and ensure that hi/her actions do not break the law of Dharma. Individuals who obey Dharma should live a life of righteousness and avoid actions, which can disturb peoples’ peace and harmony. Following one’s dharma is very important to Hindus, since they believe that there is liberation, which include the death or rebirth, a phenomenon called samsara.

According to Dharma, individuals have the mandate of living a life that benefits them in their social and economic class and the other individuals in the society. The activities that one engages in should not interfere with the other peoples’ way of life or their comfort. There is happiness in Dharma and religion because people live harmoniously with one another observing their Dharma. According to Dharma, an individual is free to do something if the action makes him or her happy. The fact is what makes an individual happy may not make another one happy. In fact, people are happy when doing their duties badly than when they are doing good things for other people. When one lives according this his/her dharma there is a great satisfaction and inner peace. If one lives according to other people’s dharma, there is destruction of the peace he/she enjoys. Living in one’s dharma ensures that one lives according to his beliefs, and the satisfaction is very big, which increases the individual’s confidence. However, it is not possible to follow one’s dharma in the modern society full of politics, religions, and the spiritual matters.

Dharma has a relationship with the shraddha, which defines an individual as who he/she is. Shraddha brings a lot of happiness and joy since it defines one’s deep emotions of anger, joy, or anxiety. Dharma defines one’s moral values and is dependent on peoples’ emotional state of mind to exercise it. Dharma has the capability of curing some illness, especially the psychological and the mental sicknesses. Following one’s morals is very important, because it brings a lot of satisfaction to the individual, when they what they believe it is right to them. There is a big relationship between an individual’s dharma and health as doing what somebody likes most makes the person have a purpose to live. Doing what you do not like causes some emptiness in the individual, which may result in drug use due to lack of self-motivation. Dharma brings a lot of self-satisfaction to a person since he/ she engages in his/her excellent activity, which can bring a lot of happiness.

Dharma can have some limitations, especially if everybody is free to practice his/her dharma. Some people’s dharma is causing harm, stealing, and violence, therefore there must be other laws, such as religious and the national laws governing the peoples’ way of life. Dharma can also bring disagreement in families, society, or schools if everybody exercises his/her dharma.

Conclusion

Dharma is very important in the Hindu culture, and many people believe in it and its effect on the individual and the society’s way of life. Dharma defines a person’s moral authority and responsibility in a manner that causes some happiness. Although there are laws, religious values, and culture, Dharma plays a very big role in shaping the behavior of humans. Success does not depend on the societal moral values, but the dharma of a person, as some things that are morally wrong to some individuals are not wrong to others. Happiness sometimes comes from one’s dharma, which also contribute to the health of an individual. More research is necessary to make people understand and appreciate Dharma and its benefits to individuals and their health.